


'K'

by SyntheticWinter



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-12
Updated: 2014-06-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 10:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1775569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyntheticWinter/pseuds/SyntheticWinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard retrieves his hamster. Kaidan watches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'K'

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea that wouldn't let me sleep last night.

When Kaidan found Shepard on his knees on the floor of the lower engineering deck, chest pressed against the grating as he reached for something, his first thought was that it was a pretty good view. His second was that something must be wrong, either with Shepard or with the ship.

Luckily, only his third thought made it past his brain-mouth filter.

“Shepard. What… are you doing?”

“Hold on… I almost… Gotcha!” He drew back slightly. “ _There_ you are, K!” Kaidan sighed as his shoulders dropped fractionally in resignation. That stupid nickname again. If he’d told Shepard once, he’d told him a dozen-

But Shepard seemed to be paying no attention to him at all. The commander had settled back on his heels and his gaze was fixed on the creature currently squirming in his hands. As Kaidan watched, he shifted his grip to run a single finger down the hamster’s… spine? Did hamsters even have spines? Kaidan found he didn’t know. Whatever Shepard had done, it seemed to have some effect, at least.

“Never did figure out why that worked,” Shepard mused, finally looking up at Kaidan. “It always seemed to relax him, though. Right, K?” he asked, returning his gaze to the hamster. And then it clicked.

“…You… named your hamster ‘K.’”

Shepard glanced up and offered a crooked half-smile. “Yeah. I was on the Citadel with Garrus and Thane, picking up some armor components, when I saw him.” Kaidan fought a flinch. Yeah, he could read between the lines. _When you weren’t here._ “He was in with a bunch of other space hamsters, but… something about him…” Shepard’s gaze, which had become far away, refocused on Kaidan, and he smiled. “He reminded me of you.”

Kaidan wasn’t sure whether to be embarrassed, offended or charmed.

He settled for neutral-exasperated. The almost childlike joy on Shepard’s face as the rodent pushed its nose into the space between Shepard’s thumb and forefinger upgraded him to warmly fond.

“Still…” Kaidan sighed. “’K’?” He made a slightly pained face at the hated nickname.

“To most of the crew, it was just a letter. I think Garrus might have suspected, but the others…” Shepard shrugged, seemingly nonchalant. “I can change it.” _If you want_. The words hovered unspoken between them.

After a beat, Kaidan broke into a smile. “Nah, keep the name. I like it.”

The radiant grin that lit Shepard’s face was more than worth it.


End file.
